Most readers would remember the dastardly 'Nirbhaya' rape, an ugly episode which remained a blot on both the state of Delhi and the entire nation. Readers will also recall Arvind Kejriwal's attack on the then Chief Minister of Delhi, Sheila Dikshit, who spoke about how Delhi police was not under her jurisdiction. Kejriwal continuously attacked the former Chief Minister and said the buck should stop at the Chief Minister in a state.
Since that incident and two elections that followed (state assembly), Arvind Kejriwal ran a very 'Modi-isque' campaign, that of him being the one-stop-solution to all of Delhi's woes.
Kejriwal made tall promises just like Prime Minister did during his national campaign, without explaining how he intended to fulfil them or elaborating on how constitutionally he would bring about the changes. A special police force under him was one such 'Jumla', borrowing from the BJP president's eloquence.
Therefore coming to the current incident of slum demolition in Delhi, Rahul Gandhi is absolutely justified in demanding answers from the Chief Minister. The following questions remain unanswered.
1) The slum may have been built on Railway land but it was in an area that has an AAP MLA. What was the MLA up to? Why did he not brief the Chief Minister and why did Kejriwal not take it up with the Central Government?
2) The MLA of the area Satyendra Kumar Jain is also a cabinet minister in the AAP government. Was he unaware that bulldozers and other heavy machinery were moving towards the slum to raze it? A slum can't be demolished just like that. Ultimately, one needs heavy machinery, that has to move on the roads in order to reach the slum.
3) The slum may have been on Railway land, but amenities like electricity, water and even health come directly under the ambit of the state government. The question therefore is, if this occupation was illegal, then even the state government was party to the dispute. Hence again, Rahul Gandhi is right in questioning Kejriwal.
4) The residents of the slum claim that no prior notice was given to them to evict the land. Instead of simply protesting as a token gesture in Parliament or doing 'Chai pe charcha' with the Rail minister Suresh Prabhu, will Kejriwal challenge this drive in courts?
5) If it was proved that notices were given, why did the state government, not get a stay order?
If Sheila Dikshit was responsible for every assault that happened in the confines of one's home, and I'm not shielding Sheila Dikshit, the Chief Minister surely should be judged by the same yardstick. He must be held accountable for an entire slum being razed from the state that he governs, in an area where he has his own party's MLA.
Lastly, the poor citizens who were rendered homeless, will ultimately have to return to the state ruled by Arvind Kejriwal.
Nothing has come from the Chief Minister on how he intends to rehabilitate them in his own state. Even worse, there is no answer on how Delhi can solve the problem of illegal settlements in the longer run.
Opposition leaves no stone unturned in criticising the Gandhis. Instead of calling Rahul Gandhi names, the Chief Minister should rather be conscious of his duties. It's what Mr. Gandhi is asking for. He isn't absolving the BJP, in fact, on the contrary, he has questioned both the state and central governments, who in their bickering, have caused so much suffering to Delhi and its people.
(The writer Tehseen Poonawalla @tehseenp is a leading entrepreneur, political commentator and a television personality. Views expressed are that of the writer)
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